LITMIR.BIZ

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to college or even law school. Almost bouncing with excitement, she’d dialed his number.

      But he didn’t pick up his phone. Even after she called him multiple times. Finally, disconsolately, she texted him the news. He hadn’t responded to that either.

      Of course he hadn’t. He’d given her the silent treatment all week, ignoring her calls, and even simple messages like her asking where things were in the house or if he’d already arranged a doctor for the baby. Even the message she’d sent him yesterday, informing him of the six-figure gift she planned for her baby sisters, had gotten no answer.

      It was enough to make her hate this beautiful beach house, where they’d once been so happy. And yearn to be somewhere else. Anywhere. But especially New York.

      Wrapping her arms around herself, drawing her cashmere cardigan closer, Lola looked out the wall of windows overlooking the pool and, beyond that, the ocean and sky.

      The sun was golden and warm, just like it had been the day Rodrigo brought her back here as his bride. He’d looked at her with so much emotion in his dark eyes before he’d kissed her. He’d made love to her with such fire and heat, such explosive pleasure, even more spectacular than she’d felt during their affair. She’d looked up into his handsome face as his body covered hers, and for one moment, she’d imagined their marriage could be about more than duty.

      But obviously, she’d thought wrong. Because when Rodrigo had gotten up from the bed, he’d looked at her as if he hated the sight of her. And ever since, he’d ignored her, as if she were Typhoid Mary and he was afraid he might contract her disease from wherever he was in South America. If he really was in South America.

      What had she done, to make him suddenly want to not only leave the bed but leave the continent?

      Tess and Hallie would know, she thought suddenly. Hallie was always so sensible and practical, while Tess was idealistic with those rose-colored glasses. Missing them, she felt a lump in her throat. She’d sent them messages about her GED, and unlike her husband they’d immediately called, to cheer for her.

      “Lola, you’re so sneaky!” Hallie had said. “You never even told us you dropped out of high school when you were a kid!”

      “You should have told us you were working for your GED,” Tess chided. “I could have baked you cookies to help you study!”

      Lola smiled now, thinking about them. Then her smile faded. What would Tess and Hallie say when they learned she’d left New York without telling them, and now lived in California? What would they say when they learned the identity of Jett’s father, and that Lola had married him without inviting them to the wedding?

      She should have told them, when they were congratulating her for passing her GED. She’d tried to. But the words had stuck in her throat. She wasn’t like her friends, wanting to talk and talk about their unsolved problems.

      Lola solved her own problems. Then she’d talk about them.

      And the problem of her marriage felt very much unsolved. How could she explain why she’d married Rodrigo and moved to California at his demand, only for him to promptly dump her and Jett here and disappear?

      Suddenly, Lola narrowed her eyes. She’d tried to be patient. But she’d had enough of waiting and wondering.

      Any action was better than this.

      He’d told her to spend his money? Fine. She would.

      Going into Rodrigo’s home office, she found his checkbook and wrote out a six-figure check, which she signed with a flourish. Anger made her fearless. Getting an envelope and paper, she wrote a letter to her sisters, the first time she’d written them in seven years.

      Seven. She’d never meant to fall out of her sisters’ lives so completely. But the days had passed so fast. Already, Johanna was twelve, and Kelsey was fifteen. Fifteen. The same age Lola had been when her mother died. When she’d decided to make it her life’s mission to save her family.

      She’d failed then. But maybe, if her little sisters knew how hard she’d tried, they would forgive her. And this check couldn’t hurt, either.

      With a deep breath, Lola signed the letter and tucked it into the envelope with the check. Sealing it, she wrote the address she’d long ago memorized by heart.

      Her hand shook as she left the home office. Collecting Jett from his playpen in the sunny main room, where he’d been happily chewing on toys, she felt so elated at what she’d done, she sang him a song she used to sing to her sisters. The baby giggled and cooed as she danced with him, pausing to look out through the windows at the bright blue ocean and sky.

      Then she stopped. What if it didn’t work? What if her sisters ignored her, just like Rodrigo?

      Squaring her shoulders, Lola forced herself to go into the enormous, gleaming kitchen, where she found the housekeeper taking bread out of the oven. It smelled delicious.

      “I made your favorite, Mrs. Cabrera,” Mrs. Lee said, smiling. “I know how much you love it.”

      “You’re too good to me. I was, um, wondering...” Lola nervously held up the envelope. “Is there any way you could take this to the post office? I’d do it myself but...” But I’m scared I’ll chicken out.

      “I’d be happy to.” Wiping her hands on her apron, the older woman took the envelope with a smile. “I have a bunch of errands to run this morning anyway. Shall I do it now?”

      “Yes, please, if you don’t mind. And please get a tracking number and receipt.”

      “Oh, my.” Mrs. Lee tilted her head. “It sounds important.”

      “It is. It’s a present. For my...my sisters.” Lola’s heart was beating fast. She knew the girls were happy in their adoptive family. She’d long ago given up thoughts of custody. All she wanted now was for her sisters to remember her. And maybe, if she was very lucky, to forgive her. “Thank you, Mrs. Lee.”

      After the housekeeper was gone, Lola changed into a modest swimsuit and cover-up, put a swimsuit on the baby and slathered him with sunscreen, and put hats on them both to block out the hot California sun. Carrying Jett with one arm, and a large wicker basket full of toys with the other, she struggled out onto the white sand. Stretching out a beach blanket, she set up her baby comfortably, then sat down beside him.

      With a deep breath, Lola stared out at the wide blue ocean stretching out to the west, all the way to Hawaii and Japan. She wanted to call back Mrs. Lee, and tell her not to send the letter. She felt scared and alone. Would her sisters ever forgive her?

      But as she reached for her phone to call back Mrs. Lee, she heard Rodrigo’s firm words.

       You know how to argue people into things. When you’re ready to see your sisters, you’ll figure out how.

      With a deep breath, she put down her phone. She’d try to be strong.

      She wondered where Rodrigo was at this moment.

      Staring out at the horizon, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Turning, she saw a man coming toward her on the beach. For a moment, she thought it was Rodrigo. But it was a stranger. It was so unexpected, she sat up straight on the beach blanket, blinking in surprise.

      A stranger? On this beach?

      All of California’s beaches were public, at least in theory, but this beach was virtually private, as it was on an isolated inlet surrounded by cliffs to the north and south.

      The man looked like a surfer, wearing board shorts, flip-flops and an unbuttoned shirt that showed off his hard-muscled chest. He had blond hair, a deep tan and a toothy smile.

      “Hello,” she said, frowning.

      “Hello,” he said, smiling down at her. “Are you all alone? You’re too beautiful to be lonely. Would you like some company? You and your charming baby?”

      Lola’s

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